On may 22, 1960, the most powerful earthquake in recorded history magnitude 9. Historical earthquakes is a list of significant earthquakes known to have occurred prior to the beginning of the 20th century. Also known as the great chilean earthquake, it was a 9. The 1960 valdivia earthquake struck chile on the afternoon of 22nd may 1960, causing widespread damage with valdivia being the most affected city. This earthquake generated a tsunami that traveled through every ocean on earth, though large, dangerous waves only impacted the coastlines around the pacific ocean. An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another. Apr 03, 2014 it was in 1960 near the chilean city of valdivia, dr. In the last four decades, since 1960, crustal deformation from continuous plate convergence and subduction is building strain which presently is accumulated and. The may 22nd 1960 chilean earthquake was the largest earthquake on record with a magnitude 9. Earthquake case study 4 chile 1960 earthquakes tsunami. The overall stricken areas were located in the south. It is referred to as the great chilean earthquake and the 1960 valdivia. The quake triggered a tsunami that killed 61 people in hawaii, 8 in japan and 32 in the philippines.
Since that earthquake chile was struck on february 27, 2010 with an 8. Megathrust earthquakes generate tsunamis known as teletsunamis that can cross entire oceans. The largest earthquake ever recorded was in chile in 1960 at 9. The focus is the point on the fault surface where motion begins. The people felt the foreshocks before the actual earthquake hit and left their homes. Valdivia earthquake newspaper archives newspaperarchive. Responding to quake, chile uses lessons of past the new.
By the time they end, the quakes and their aftereffects kill 5,000 people and leave another 2. Speaking personally it was a terrible shock to be awakened from deep sleep at the beginning of the earthquake. The largest earthquake in the world occurred on may 22, 1960, in chile. Southern chile earthquake and tsunami, 22 may 1960 on may 22, 1960 a great mw 9. May 21, 1960 was one such day, the day when the world saw the biggest, the most terrible earthquake ever. Over 14,000 residents of the region were killed as poorly constructed. Left uninhabited after the earthquake, the site of godin tepe is slowly buried. It is not usually the earthquake itself that claims lives, but the destruction of manmade structures or other natural disasters caused by the earthquake, ie. Chile, its southern half devastated day after day by volcanic eruptions and earth shocks of cataclysmic force, which spread havoc around the entire rim of the pacific ocean. The great chilean earthquake, as it is commonly referred to, is a series of for strong earthquakes that hit the country in may 21st and 22nd. A lot of damage was caused due to the shaking of the earth. Originating off the coast of southern chile on may 22, 1960, the temblor caused substantial damage and loss of life in chile andas a result of the tsunamis it generatedin hawaii, japan, the philippines, and other distant coastal areas.
Prepared by the chile earthquake investigation team of the coasts, oceans, ports, and rivers institute of asce. Predecessors of the giant 1960 chile earthquake nature. When the biggest earthquake ever recorded hit chile, it rocked the world in 1960, all of chile shook violently for more than 10 minutes. In collaboration with luis rivera, and with help from stewart smith, and frank press. Chiles excellent building codes kept most structures standing. Also referred to as the great chilean earthquake or the 1960 valdivia earthquake, the earthquake had a magnitude of 9. The earthquake caused a large tsunami, and damaged.
The science behind earthquakes what is an earthquake. An unusual foreshock sequence that began with an earthquake of moment 2. Earthquake and fire ends the minoan period at malia. The largest earthquake recorded in history according to the usgs records was an earthquake of magnitude 9. The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of chile on 22 may 1960. The 1960 valdivia earthquake or great chilean earthquake occurred on this date in 1960. Chile earthquake of 1960 celeste bayeh, lewis beumie and gavan huang it was may 22nd, 1960 when an earthquake with a stength of 9. This story map combines an interactive map with historic photos of the earthquake. Lessons learned limited chile quake damage cbs news.
When the biggest earthquake ever recorded hit chile, it rocked. It was the most powerful earthquake recorded in history of the 20th century. This area of southern chile where the may 22, 1960 earthquake occured, is a region where a large earthquake can be expected to occur again. The chile earthquake of 1960 was the largest earthquake ever recorded, scoring a whopping 9. Other earthquakes in recorded history may have been larger. List of books and articles about earthquakes online. This earthquake, which occurred in 1960, is the biggest one to ever be recorded in history with a magnitude of 9. Valdivia earthquake strikes chile national geographic society. My reaserach focused on the nearest city to the epicenter. Pages in category 1960 earthquakes the following 6 pages are in this category, out of 6 total.
However, valdivia was the hardest hit locality with nearly 40% of its building destroyed and leaving close to. This walkin street crack was created by a may 1960 earthquake in valdivia, chile. A timeline of the biggest earthquakes in recent history. As the events listed here occurred before routine instrumental recordings, they rely mainly on the analysis of written sources. In 1960, all of chile shook violently for more than 10 minutes. Jul 25, 2011 chile earthquake of 1960 celeste bayeh, lewis beumie and gavan huang it was may 22nd, 1960 when an earthquake with a stength of 9. Photos of earthquakes that made history readers digest. It is also the second largest earthquake ever recorded, next to the m9. Environmental impacts map looking at this photo, you could tell that the chile earthquake had dramatically affected and destroyed most houses and buildings.
The 1960 chile earthquake was caused by the nazca plate releasing tension and descending 15 meters underneath the south american plate. The valdivia earthquake of may 22, 1960, was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. The tremor triggered a giant tsunami which caused destruction and deaths as far away as japan, around a day later. It was the biggest earthquake ever recorded, with a magnitude of 9. The location below the earths surface where the earthquake starts is called the hypocenter, and the. Recovery estimates for the rio cruces after the may 1960. During the great earthquake in chile in 1960, what mitigated the loss of life. There are some terrible days you cannot forget ever, especially if they have touched your life in some way. This list of earthquakes in chile includes every known major earthquake that was felt or with its epicenter within chile s current boundaries. The great chilean earthquake of 1960 michigan state university. Revisiting the 1960 chilean earthquake for the 50th anniversary hiroo kanamori. Most populous area in the region until destroyed by earthquake. On may 22, 1960, the great chilean earthquake devastated the country chile. The massive earthquake not only impacted cities in chile such as puerto montt and valdivia, but the impact of this natural hazard was felt across.
Southern chile earthquake and tsunami, 22 may 1960 ncei. In the history of this world there have been many large, disastrous earthquakes. According to modern calculations, this great chile earthquake of may 22, 1960 had a moment magnitude of 9. The great chilean earthquake of 1960, the largest earthquake recorded in the 20th century. Historical and recent large megathrust earthquakes in chile. The earthquake had a devastating effect all over the world, killing. Thousands more were injured, and millions were left homeless. Earthquake in chile 1960 today in history 22 may 16. Introduction chile has had many earthquakes through time, but the earthquake of 1960 is the largest earthquake ever recorded instrumentally. That quake along the western coast of south america was so big, it changed the. It struck off the coast of south central chile on may 22, 1960. The great chilean earthquake of 1960 on may 22, 1960 at 7. The resulting tsunamis and landslides affected japan, hawaii, southern chile, the philippines, new. The epicenter is the point on earths surface directly above the focus.
The temblor caused substantial damage and loss of life both in that country andas a result of the tsunamis that it generatedin distant pacific coastal areas. What is it the great chilean earthquake was the biggest earthquake ever with a rating of 9. Chile s government asked the united nations to provide international aid, two days after a giant earthquake ripped through the south american nation, killing at least 700, crushing buildings and. There is often significant uncertainty in location and magnitude and sometimes date for each earthquake. On may 22, 1960, the largest earthquake in recorded historymagnitude 9. Largest earthquake recorded worlds biggest earthquake. The earthquake occurred on 22 of may, 1960 when it hit.
An ensuing tsunami reached hawaii, japan, the philippines, eastern new zealand. Largest earthquake of the 20th century kids fun science. Chile earthquake of 1960, the largest earthquake recorded in the 20th century. The series of earthquakes that followed ravaged southern chile and produced one of the longest ruptures ever reported. Most of nevadas population has only experienced this seismically quieter period of nevadas history and the folklore of earthquakes in nevada has been lost. The worlds most powerful earthquake left 4,485 people dead and injured and 2 million homeless after it struck southern chile in 1960. Fifty years ago, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in history rocked the city of valdivia, chile. Aug 29, 2016 when the biggest earthquake ever recorded hit chile, it rocked the world in 1960, all of chile shook violently for more than 10 minutes. We shouldnt forget the past because understanding nevadas earthquake history. The rupture zone stretched almost 1,000 kilometers 621 miles along the countrys coast. The 1960 valdivia earthquake or great chilean earthquake of sunday, 22 may 1960 is to date the most powerful megathrust earthquake ever recorded on earth, rating 9.
Earthquake relocations of the sequence show a progression of seismic activity toward the initiation of the main shock. The story concerns a tremendous earthquake of 8,5 degrees that affected the cities of valdivia and puerto montt in may of 1960. Between those two massive quakes, chile enacted codes to improve the seismic resilience of structures. Larger earthquakes usually begin with slight tremors but rapidly take the form of one or more violent shocks, and end in vibrations of gradually diminishing force called aftershocks.
What about the impact of earthquakes on our fragile earth. On february 27, 2010, an earthquake of magnitude 8. Dec 12, 20 1219 and 1530, the netherlands experienced floods costing about 250,000 lives. May 22, 2015 according to modern calculations, this great chile earthquake of may 22, 1960 had a moment magnitude of 9. When the biggest earthquake ever recorded hit chile, it. One quarter of the nation, over two million, homeless, and. The impacts of the 1960 chile earthquake by asnan nadeem on prezi. The agadir, morocco earthquake february 29, 1960 by unknown editor and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. During the great earthquake in chile in 1960, what mitigated. Sep 08, 2016 the 1960 valdivia earthquake struck chile on the afternoon of 22nd may 1960, causing widespread damage with valdivia being the most affected city.
These two towns were only 100 miles away from the epicentre of the earthquake which was. Huge earthquake hits chile on this day in 1960, the first tremor of a series hits valdivia, chile. Deadly earthquake hits central chile world news the. That quake created a tsunami, which together killed. Originating off the coast of southern chile on may 22, 1960. The 1960 chile earthquake was the largest earthquake of the 20th century. It did not occur in an area that was very populated. Agadir morocco earthquake february 29 1960 abebooks. It produced a tsunami that killed people around the pacific basin in hawaii, california, japan, the philippines and other locations. The event was named after the city most affected by the quake, valdivia. That quake along the western coast of south america was so. The story was mentioned in a time magazine article, although with little detail. The subduction of the fastmoving nazca plate has a history of producing massive quakes. The video features usgs geologist george plafker who, in the 1960s.
The event caused extensive subsidence and uplift over wide areas at least,000 km2 with uplift. Valdivia earthquake strikes chile national geographic. The largest earthquake instrumentally recorded had a magnitude of 9. Theres chile s 1960 valdivia earthquake, coming in at 9. Chiloe earthquake occurred in the southern zone of the 1960 valdivia megathrust. The tremor caused localised tsunamis that severely battered the chilean coast, with waves up.
Top 10 most destructive earthquakes in history all time. It was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rating 9. The name given was the 1960 valdivia earthquake and took place in chile, which probably still faces some of its consequences to date. Nature showed us her fury the city of talca was badly hit, being close to the quake epicentre a massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8. Bulletin of the seismological society of america, 65 5, 10731095. The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane. On february 27, 2010, an earthquake off the coast of chile registered a magnitude of 8. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage.
The deadly izmit earthquake struck northwest turkey on august 17, 1999, at 3 a. The valdivia earthquake left 2 million people homeless, injured at least. Theoretical basis of some empirical relations in seismology. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldnt have generated significant media interest. However, most of the damage was caused by large tsunamis which occurred on the coast of chile from lebu to puerto aisen. On this day in 1960, the first tremor of a series hits valdivia, chile. Sinking of the ground due to the earthquake, known as subsidence, produced local flooding in chile. Case study andrea anderson, chile 1960 cassie aragon, rachel clarke, natalee simkins, meegan sims, and lauren van wagenen. One amazing thing by chitra banerjee divakaruni, night of the howling dogs by graham salisbury, in darkness by nick lake, am. The 1960 chilean earthquakes cifuentes 1989 journal of. This earthquake generated a tsunami that was destructive not only along the coast of chile, but also across the pacific in hawaii, japan, and the philippines.